- A magnitude 5.7 earthquake was reported Friday on the south flank of Mauna Loa volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii.
- The earthquake was initially reported to have a magnitude of 6.3 and was recorded at a depth of 33 miles.
- In the aftermath of the earthquake, no tsunami or significant damage was reported.
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Mauna Loa on Hawaii Island, the world’s largest active volcano, on Friday, knocking products off shelves and knocking out power in nearby towns, but there were no immediate reports of serious damage.
The earthquake, which did not cause a tsunami and was initially reported by the U.S. Geological Survey as having a magnitude of 6.3, was centered on the south face of Mauna Loa, 2.1 miles southwest of Pahala and at a depth of 33 miles.
“It was a shock that made my knees wobble a little bit,” said Derek Nelson, manager of the Kona Canoe Club Restaurant in the seaside community of Kona on the island’s west side. “Every window in the village shook.”
Earthquake felt in Florida, 160 miles off the Atlantic coast.
About 300 customers in Naalehu were affected by power outages believed to be related to the earthquake, Hawaiian Electric Company spokesman Darren Pai said.
The quake struck just after 10 a.m. local time, less than two hours before an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.6 struck Southern California.
Mauna Loa last erupted in late 2022. Mauna Loa is one of the five volcanoes that make up the Big Island, the southernmost of the Hawaiian Islands.
Mauna Loa volcano towers over Kilauea’s summit crater in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on April 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones, File)
Earthquakes can occur in Hawaii for a variety of reasons, including magma moving beneath the surface. In the case of Friday’s incident, scientists believe the culprit was likely caused by the weight of the Hawaiian Islands bending and stressing the Earth’s crust and upper mantle.
This was the cause of the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that occurred off the coast of Kiholo Bay on the northwest coast of the Big Island in 2006. The quake damaged roads and buildings and knocked out power as far as Honolulu on Oahu, about 320 miles north.
The observatory said Friday’s earthquake did not affect Mauna Loa or the neighboring Kilauea volcano.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park spokeswoman Jessica Ferracane said there was no apparent damage to roads or the visitor center. Earthquakes are not uncommon, but this one was “much more intense” than normal, she said.
The Hawaiian Islands were formed by successive volcanic eruptions over millions of years. The majority of Hawaii’s earthquakes occur on and around the Big Island. According to the Hawaii Volcano Observatory, an earthquake of magnitude 5 or greater occurs in the state about once every 1.5 years.
The Big Island is largely rural, with ranches, coffee plantations, and resort hotels. But there are also some smaller cities, including the county seat of Hilo, which has a population of 45,000.
Friday’s earthquake may have been felt as far as Honolulu. Big Island Mayor Mitch Ross, who had been seeing a cardiologist on the island, initially thought he was experiencing side effects from the surgery, saying, “All of a sudden, I felt dizzy.” Ta.
He said he called emergency management officials as soon as he realized there was an earthquake and was heading to the Honolulu airport to catch an early flight home.
Grace Tabios, owner of Will & Grace Philippine Variety Store in Naalehu, said her husband, who worked at a coffee farm in Pahala, collapsed in the tremor. In her store, bottles of mayonnaise and medicine from the Philippines fell off the shelves.
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“Some things fell down, but they didn’t break,” Tabios said.
